1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for adding negatively charged molecules to the air intake system of an internal combustion engine, said molecules having the formula [MO.sub.x ].sup.-, where M is a positive ion, O is oxygen, and x.gtoreq.3. In particular, the present invention relates to increasing the forward velocity and density of the air charge supplied to the cylinder by use of these molecules, thereby increasing the cylinder pressure, which in turn increases the engine torque and power output.
2. Discussion of Background
Almost all motor vehicles are powered by gasoline-burning internal combustion engines. This is a matter of concern due to two factors: first, the environmental effects of carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides and other combustion products that are released to the atmosphere during operation of an internal combustion engine; and second, known reserves of petroleum are limited and prices are subject to fluctuation due to world market conditions. These factors have stimulated efforts to conserve gasoline, develop alterative fuel sources and design more efficient engines.
The efficiency of an internal combustion engine is limited by the following two factors: first, incoming air loses (1) velocity and (2) electrons as it strikes the moving vehicle itself, high pressure air cells and vortices formed around the radiator, fan blades and air filter intake ducts, and the continuously restrictive and disturbed air passages to the target cylinder. The loss of velocity of the air stream of the moving vehicle means less air will be rammed into the cylinder, thereby limiting the burn of the fuel/air mixture, which limits the cylinder pressure, which in turn limits the amount of torque and horsepower produced by the engine. The loss of electrons increases the ambient positive:negative ion ratio. Typically, the ratio of positive to negative ions in air at sea level is between approximately 5:4 and 8:4. Since ions with the same charge tend to repel one another, increasing the positive:negative ion ratio decreases the density of the air. If the density of the air is reduced, less oxygen is carried into the cylinder. This limits the bum of the fuel/air mixture, which in turn limits the cylinder pressure and thus the amount of torque and horsepower produced by the engine.
Automobiles run better after a thunderstorm. This phenomenon is primarily caused by the natural conditions that exist after an electrical storm, namely, the presence of ozone and an increase in the relative amount of negative ions in the air. These conditions increase the efficiency of the internal combustion process by correcting conditions in the engine that decrease efficiency: first, an air charge that has more negative ions is denser than an air charge with a higher positive:negative ion ratio. (The term "air charge" refers to the quantity of air supplied to the cylinder during a single cycle.) Second, an air charge that is rich in negative ions generates a greater forward velocity because the negative ions are attracted to the positive ionic charge that exists in a cylinder after the previous bum, thus increasing the amount of air that enters the cylinder, the bum time and temperature. Third, ozone (O.sub.3) contains more oxygen than diatomic oxygen (O.sub.2). The combination of a denser air charge and more oxygen, coupled with increased bum time and temperature, increases the cylinder pressure, which increases the engine torque and horsepower output. By increasing the engine's ability to do work, less fuel is used to perform the same work as an engine in a normal situation.
These conditions last for only a short period of time because the concentration of ozone following a thunderstorm is very small (about 1 part per billion (ppb)), and the relative imbalance of negative ions quickly reverts back to the usual 5:4-8:4 positive:negative ion ratio at the earth's surface. For a short time after a thunderstorm, however, engines run more efficiently and use less gasoline.
A number of ozone generators exist, most of them operating on alternating current. There are two known that use direct current, that is, a current that does not change polarity, namely, those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,417,966 issued to Krauss. et al. and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,048,668 issued to Von Bargen, et al., but these both use a time-varying current level. The former patent describes a device with a current chopped at a frequency of about 350 Hz; the latter describes a pulsed current having a frequency of ten to sixteen kHz. Many presently-available ozone generators operate at elevated pressure or require cooling mechanisms to dissipate the quantities of heat produced in the generation of ozone, therefore, these types of generators are not suitable for use in the operating environment of an internal combustion engine.
There is a need for an air intake system for an internal combustion engine that operates safely and effectively on direct current, and that supplies a controlled, predictable amount of oxygenated, negative ions to the air charge.